A detailed, comprehensive explanation of measuring and improving Java performance. The book starts with descriptions of the principal factors that affect performance on the JVM. It then shows how to measure the performance and tease out the various causes through specific benchmarks. More than half the book is devoted to tuning the JVM and the applications to squeeze out the maximum performance. This information is relayed with tips and techniques, as well as deep dives into the various tools and JVM options that are currently available (and, it appears, little-known). The appendices provide extensive coverage of JVM options and present source code with illustrative techniques of performance refinement that are possible.

This book is, without a doubt, the most comprehensive treatment of Java performance. My only frustration with it is that it covers only Oracle technologies. So, only the HotSpot JVM is discussed (although many of the techniques are clearly applicable to other JVMs) and only Oracle’s Java servers. The more than occasional references to Solaris were also a bit annoying. But these limitations aside, this is an excellent treatment and worthy of a place on the bookshelf of most Java developers. Highly recommended. — Andrew Binstock

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